This invention relates to devices adapted to be incorporated into the hull or housing of underwater apparatus for the purpose of providing attachment points for connection of lifting, hoisting, or tie down devices.
Present day submersibles or submarines are often fitted with external auxiliary equipment for a variety of scientific and military purposes. Such equipment may be only intermittently installed or may require periodic removal for upkeep or replacement. The provision of fixed and protruding or exposed pad-eyes leads to drag and turbulance that cannot be tolerated at relatively high speed operation.
It has been proposed in the past to provide recessed eyes for connection of hoisting gear, with a removable cover plate secured thereover during periods of non-use to provide a relatively smooth surface and reduced turbulance and drag. U.S. Pat. No. 1,826,959 provides an example of such a construction. The device of that patent is, however, limited to application at the location of a rib or bulkhead, includes a turbulence causing rim about the recess, and the cover plate must be completely removed and so is subject to being readily lost.